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First Sam Adams and Heineken quit sponsoring St. Patrick's Day parades in Boston and New York City; now Guinness is joining in protest of a ban on gay activist groups marching in the celebrations, Reuters reports. "Guinness has a strong history of supporting diversity and being an advocate for equality for all. We were hopeful that the policy of exclusion would be reversed for this year's parade," the company says. "As this has not come to pass, Guinness has withdrawn its participation." Fox News notes that Ford Motor Company is now the only big US sponsor of today's parade.

It's not just sponsors who are dropping out: New York Mayor Bill de Blasio won't march this year. Nor did Boston mayor Marty Walsh participate in Boston's event yesterday. His exit came after talks to include a top gay activist group fell through. Ireland's prime minister, however, will join New York's celebrations; he says the parade is "about our Irishness and not about sexuality." The city's parade planners say gay groups aren't banned outright—but they're not allowed to identify themselves as LGBT, the AP notes. (Read more Guinness stories.)

Guinness should then be boycotted by everyone that marched in those parades. And be vocal about it. It's amazing how these companies jump to champion and defend an insignificant, inconsequential segment of the population.

FirefoxisSpying

Mar 17, 2014 11:55 PM CDT

Apparently anyone can march in the parade without making it a STATEMENT about something other than St Patrick's Day. I support gay rights, attend a church that supports gay marriage, have a sibling who is gay and has a partner of 20 years,... but gay activists making the parade about GETTING ATTENTION about being gay to be included when they could be included already is totally uncalled for. QUIT MAKING IT A BIG GAY DRAMA!